Self-righting stamp



July 30, 19.29. F BOGASKlE SELF RIGHTING STAMP Filed April 16. 1927 j 1li /Nve/vro/e Patented July 30, 1929.

Unirse stares rarest ferries.

FRANK Boensnin, or JoirNs'roWN, NEW venir.

snilr-nierrrine STAMP.

Appleationkledlpril 16,`

vflat surface, will alwaysarrange itself in a` predetermined position.

When aA person is about to use a rubber stamp it is first necessary for him to ascer- 10 tain whether the type in the stamp 'are arranged so that the impression on the paper will be right side up. This Vmay be done by examining the type but it is usualto' have a mark or indication upon one side of thel stamp which ifheld toward the operator will insure that the impression be right side up. l/Vhen the operator picks up the stamp he must look for this mark.

My inventioncontemplates the application to a stamp of this general character of meansV which will cause the stamp to -roll over on a flat surface and will create acondition of unstable equilibrium in the stamp`A until it nally adjusts itself in such a position of rest that when picked up by the operator it will be in the proper position for use. f My' invention further contemplatesr the association with such a device of a means for indi'v eating the character of the reading matter upon the stamp. t l

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a rubber stampl which will, when placed upon a flat surface, be in a condition of unstable requilibrium except. when it is in the proper position to be'y grasped for use by the operator. .Another object of my invention is to provide a meansV of this character whereby the stamp may be suspended from a hook or nail with the axis of the handle horizontal, and with which there may be associated conveniently observ able means indicating the character ofv the reading matter upon the stamp.

With these objects in view my invention includes the novel elements and the combinations aiid arrangements of elements 'illustrated in a more or less typical way inthe accompanying drawings in which- Y Fig. l is a top view of a stamp with onel species of my self-righting means attached thereto; j

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. l showing the preferred form of my invention;

Fig. 8 is a side view of Fig. 2 showing 192?. ,serial no. 184,317.`

how my stamp may be suspended from a nail;

Fig. illustrates a side'view of a stamp in a condition of unstable equilibrium upon a flat surface vFig 5 is a side view of Fig. '4: showing the lstamp as it beginsto roll into a position of-stable equilibrium such as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2;

Fig. @illustrates how my device may be made an integral part of the frame of an ordinary dating stamp, and

Fig. Z shows a slight modification of my invention adapted for attachment toa stamp.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents the handle of an ordinary stamp, 2 is the wood body portion of the stamp into which the handleis normally glued, and ,3 represents the rubber cushion upon which the type are ordinarily cemented or it may represent the type themselves.

lilyinventiom in part, comprises the application to a stamp of this character of a thin disk, 4, of comparatively rigid material such as thin metal, wood, Celluloid or the like. The important `feature of this disk is the `curvilinear edge, 5, which is preferably, but-'not necessarily, circular inform and which liesin a planenormal to the aXis of v the handle. This curvilinear edge should eX- tend entirely about three of the four sides of thebody portion of the stamp. The plane of the curvilinear edge, 5, preferably passes through the center of gravity, 6, of the assembly so thatthe stamp when hung from a nail, 17,' passing through the hole, 27, as shown in Fig. 3, will normally rest with the axis of the"y handle horizontal. Where the plane of the curvilinear edge, 5, cannot be conveniently located in this position l prefer that it should be normal to the axis of the handle at a point intermediate the center of the gravity of the assembly and the end ieinote from the handle.

When the device has been assembled so that these relations exist between the various parts, the stamp will, if dropped upon a flat surface, first assume a position such as shown in'F ig. 4l, and the weight of the stamp will be supported merely upon two points, to wit, the point, 8, where ythe handle is tangent to the surface, 9, and the point, 10, wlieretlie curvilinear edge, 5, is tangent to the supy sembly acts downwardly through the center of gravity in the direction of the arrows, 11

in Fig. e, 12 in Fig. i and y1a in'rigs 5.'-

lUnless the device is precisely on dead center the vertical force of gravity as're'pre!A sented by the arrows 11, 12 and 13`w'i`ll`be" on one side or the other of the line joining the points of tangency, 8 and 10, and'wiil thus tend to cause the stamp to rotate in the direction of the arrow, 14,1(see Fig.'"5)`,`until' it rolls completely over and lies upon the flat face, 15, in stable equilibrium. Y

The preferred formk of my inventlonY 1s shown in Fig. 2. The curvilinear edge, 5,

is a perfect circle'idrawn from thejcenter,i 16, and passing through the' corners,17y and 18, of the body of the stamp. Thev center,

16, of this circle is somewhat remov'ed'from the axis, 19, of 'the handle.

Where it is desirable to reduce the sizeof the disk, 4, the curvilinear edge, 5', mayl'be a circle described with a center upon the axis of the handle `as shown in F ig.` 1. y In either case it may be desirable to provide'y the curvilinear edge, 5, midway between its eX` tremities, with an abrupt projection 'or point, r

as shown at l2() in'Fig.' 1, s o that itV will be quite impossible for the stamp to come to rest on dead center, in the position shown in Fig. 4.

In its preferred form the diskr may bek attached to the body Vportion of the stamp by nica-ns, of screws,21` and 22, or by anyr other convenient means. v

23 represents 'a Vpiece of clear celluloild whichA is secured to the body portionfof the stamp by the screws, 21 and 22,*and which is held in close engagement with the disk, 4,- by means of the over-turned clips, 24 and 25, Vcut out of the disk and bentcver the edgesj of the Celluloid. Beneaththe Celluloid, 23,l there may be yplaced a pieceof'paper, 26,"

bearing'a'legend indicating the character'of the stamp.

Where it is desired to apply my invention to an ordinary dating stamp havlng a metal ever', this curve may be somewhat modified provided the device will be in al condition of unstable equilibrium when supported' at any point thereon and on the handle, asl

shown in Fig. 4. The'device is intended to, and must roll'over'to a position of stable equilibrium without any hesitatiomand with this end in view'both the edge, 5,'and the line of rollingI support about the handle should be smooth curves and preferably circles.

I aware 'that it has been proposed byk others',`nota'bly Stevenson in his U. S. Patent No. 1,446,671, to form a self-righting stamp by means' of'asurounding curved element or arm7 of wire or the like. Such devices are dificult'tofform .as compared with my disk whichmay be cut with a simple die, and

wirelike'arms are easily deformed and otherwise damaged, whereas my disk is practicallyfindestructible. Furthermore my disk is adapted to form a legend carrier of 'sufIi-` cientsizeto bear the complete imprint of the stamp.

v\While I 'have 4describedy fm-y inventionVV in 'y its preferred'form, it isto be understood that i the 'words which I have 'used areY words of description'rather than words oflimitation,

andthat'changes within'thepu'rviewv of the appended claims may be made without departingfrom the true scope and spirit of myV invention in' its broadest aspects.

What I claim is- 1, An articleofmanufacture adapted for attachment vto a ystamp'or the like to make it self-righting, ,comprising adisk 0f vsubstantially rigid `material having aV curvilinear edge approximating. a segment of Va circle and fsubtending-Ja central angle in' excess of 180`degrees; the edge, midway betweenthe extremities thereof, being provided with an `abrupt' projection.

2. In'a stamp of the character described having-.a handle thereon, a hanger comprising a perforated, segmental' disk of rigid material 'secured to said stamp'A at rightalligles tothe axis offsaid handle andhaving t e through 'the center of gravity of the whole; whereby said stamp.' may, be suspendedin stable equilibrium1 with 'the axis ofthe han; dlehorizontal. y

y, 3. Inastamphavingfa handle thereon, a hanger comprisinga perforated plate secured thereto and adapted to hold vsaid stamp suspendedl from" a "point of support with the axis ofthe handle substantially horizontal, Yand'fya transparent element secured in `(,:ontactfwith said plate Aon the side toward the handle adapted'to permit a legend plane thereofl passing substantiallyy indicating the character ofthe stamp to be n read therethrough.r

4; In a rubber stamp orpthe like providedl with a handle and a body, a plate secured to sai-d stamp and forming a legend carrier olsetfrom the side of said and lyingy substantially."v parallel to the face of the stamp:`y` l y 5. The combination with "a stamp comprising a body portion and a handle, of a rigid disksecured thereto at right' angles to the axis o f the handle and havingits plane passing substantially through the center of gravity of the whole; said :disk

being provided Withk a curvilinear edge forming, with said handle, an unstable support for the Whole, adapting said stamp to roll about on a Hat surface, to a. predetermined position of stable equilibrium.

6. The combination With a stamp com= prising a body portion and a handle, of a rigid disk secured to said stamp intermediate the handle and body portion; said disk being provided, near its edge, with a centrally disposed opening adapted to receive a hook for hanging the stamp; and said edge being curvilinear and forming, with said handle, an unstable support for the Whole, adapting said stamp to roll about on a Hat surface to a predetermined position of stable equilibrium.

7. The structure as defined in claim 5 in Which the curvilinear edge is provided with a centrally disposed abrupt projection.

8. The structureV as defined in claim 6 in which the curvilinear edge is provided with a centrally disposed abrupt projection.

FRANK BOGASISIE.v 

